For anyone interested the targus univ keyboard is available for $57 + shipping at Page Computer, and as of tonight "real time" inventory shows 211 available. Ordered one myself will follow up when it ships/arrives. Thanks for the review, this looks like a great solution.

I've never heard of this company. Has anyone ever used them before? I noticed on the real-time availability it was for different distributors. I wonder if that means that Page doesn't have it, but thinks they can get it.

Geoffrey

Originally posted by Tourdewolf For anyone interested the targus univ keyboard is available for $57 + shipping at Page Computer, and as of tonight "real time" inventory shows 211 available. Ordered one myself will follow up when it ships/arrives. Thanks for the review, this looks like a great solution.

I finally got my Targus. Here are my impressions after several hours of use.

The mouse feature is great! The keyboard is great!

It is not the smallest solution out there, but I have owned four portable keyboards:
1) GoType! for the Palm III and Handera 330
2) Stowaway for the Ipaq
3) Audiovox CKP-2032 for the Audiovox Maestro
4) The Targus

The Targus is by far the best built! (of course this is what leads to the added girth) Take a stowaway and add about 1/2" to it's width, but [the Targus] feels more substantial.

The Targus also "sticks to the desk" very well. It has eight rubber feet that all make contact. My Go Type!, Audiovox, and to some extent the stowaway never felt firmly planted on the surface. They always felt like they were trying to squirm their way out from under my thumb.

Did I say the mouse function was great?!

I would buy this keyboard for any handheld device. I now have a common solution. (and will not have to keep buying new keyboards).

To be "Fair and Balanced" here are the only negatives I have found:
- Setting up the keyboard is a little more dramatic affair than for the other keyboards - there are just a few more steps. It's not "pop, stick and go" like my other keyboards - it's "unfold, unfold, position, position and go"
- If your Treo shuts off and you have to hit the power key, or if you are using the stylus on the touch screen use a little care. Since there is no "male-female" connector securing the unit, being aggressive (especially reaching around the flip lid to the top mounted power button) can upset the unit.
- The keyboards large combination lid, IR holder, and stand is a facet that may turn some off - it increases the depth requirement. It appears that it will "just fit" on an airline tray. I'll know Monday.
- You can't program the four dedicated function keys
- The right shift key is too small. I've missed it every time.
- (This one is hard to describe)The space bar is in two pieces - one on each side of the hinge, and there is a 3/4" dead space next to the left space bar where it appears Targus could have made the key wider. Well that dead space is where the key should be - I keep hitting the dead space trying to hit the space bar.

For anyone interested;
I ordered the Targus universal keyboard on the 20th and received it on the 23, brand new factory sealed just as expected. They seem to be an online dealer and use Ingram Micro for fulfillment, probably the reason I got it so quick (there is an ingram warehouse here in town.
Keyboard seems to be great (compared to what else is out there) I compared it side by side with a Palm Portable: the keys are about the same size but not as many or as far apart. One interesting thing is all the available key combinations, the manual has several pages of combos to use for just about any pda. So far works with fine with my tungsten T, Axim, and treo. Although I havent' been able to get the "mouse" to work properly on the treo, not sure why yet, will report later.

TDW

I see today that Amazon has it for $66 w/free shipping! Only 4 in stock though

I finally picked up one this morning at Best Buy. I have to say that I think they did a really good job designing it, with a few caveats.

1) Yes, the design of the spacebar is annoying, but something I think I can live with. The right shift key may take a little longer.

2) The fact that I can't reprogram the application keys is annoying, especially since they don't even work as the buttons in the Treo's prefs are configured.

3) I REALLY dislike that page up and down require hitting the alt key and one of the numerics.

4) Although there are function-key combinations for "OK" and "Cancel," there doesn't appear to be one for "Done."

The mouse is VERY cool. The finish is good and the keyboard feels very solid. I think they spent a lot of time thinking this one out, even though there are a few shortcomings. Key size and travel are very comfortable.

Overall, I think it's worth its price and the difference in cost between it and the Belkin model that I just returned.

The only fatal exception I have had was in VeriChat when I attempted to use the page up feature to back up in a chat. I haven't tried it again with VeriChat to better identify the problem. I also have had my Treo freeze both times while in Word to Go. This bothers me since I will likely want to use the keyboard for word processing more than most other things.

I don't have TreoMail, so can't comment on the last post. I haven't tried to use the keyboard with Aileron, but will later today.

I have had fatal resets everytime I use VeriChat with the keyboard. I haven't yet found a consistent cause, but it's annoying, since the keyboard would be very handy for chatting. I have to drop e-mails to PDAApps and Targus about this.

The Targus doesn't interfere with my AOL software or Blazer. The error seems restricted to treomail when it tries to establish a swecure connection. I suspect it is tied to the mouse function, but I have no facts to back that up.

I don't have TreoMail but the Treo 300 crashed once when sending mail w/EudoraMail (Soft Reset). After going thru several hard resets with the Belkin Keyboard; I just avoided using the Targus there for a while, and am instead cutting and pasting from Memo. However, if I get back to that aspect I will post again here. Other than that, I've noticed an incompatiblility with either McPhling or X-Master and just shut down all hacks with the exception of Crash when using the keyboard.

In general, I am quite happy with the Targus.

Anybody figure out a way to reprogram the four keys on the right, or how to get the mouse working "perfectly" in the Treo 300?

Originally posted by jimn367 Does anyone else have a problem with treo mail sending and receiving e-mail with the Targus keyboard on?

The simple workaround is to turn the keyboard on and off and turning treomail to manual when using the keyboard.

I've just upgraded to the Treo 300 after several years as one of the lonely Digital Link users out there. Now I'm trying to find a good fit for a full-sized keyboard with my new Treo. I have both the Belkin and the Targus Wireless keyboards, and so far the Targus one seems much less glitchy. Here's my one beef--I can't get the tab key to move me between fields! I use the keyboard mostly for data entry when I'm off site--if I can't do this I won't get anything done. I talked to the Targus folks and they said it's a matter of the software program, which is obviously untrue since I've used both of my databases (Filemaker Mobile and HanDBase) smoothly with two other keyboards, GoType and Stowaway. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Also, it certainly can be a problem with the application writer if they aren't properly following the standards as provided by Handspring or Palmgear. A good example is that some text editors don't implement the text boxes the same as other editors, making the autocap and autocorrect features not work.